Financial services firm Edward Jones has been named to Fortune® magazine’s 2023 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies, a recognition of the most respected and reputable companies globally. The firm ranked No. 5 in the Securities/Asset Management industry category.
“As a firm, we are built on deep, trusted, personal relationships. Being named a Most Admired Company is a testament to the depth of these relationships among our 8 million clients, 50,000 associates and 3,000 communities where we serve,” said Kristin Johnson, Edward Jones Chief Transformation Officer. “At the heart of our relationships is a shared determination to grow our impact and to live in harmony with our firm’s purpose: to partner for positive impact to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society.”
Positive impact manifests in a multitude of forms. During the past three years, financial advisors have guided clients to navigate market volatility and uncertainty with confidence, and as the opportunity arose, the firm added 725 new branches to serve additional clients in local communities. Beyond its work with clients, the Edward Jones Financial Fitness in-person and online education programs have helped nearly 450,000 learners increase their financial literacy since 2020.
“As a firm, we are built on deep, trusted, personal relationships. Being named a Most Admired Company is a testament to the depth of these relationships among our 8 million clients, 50,000 associates and 3,000 communities where we serve.
-Kristin Johnson, Edward Jones Chief Transformation Officer
For associates, the firm encourages participation in the Day of Caring, a paid day off to volunteer for an organization of their choosing — with nearly 58,000 hours donated in 2022. The firm’s generous parental leave policy, comprehensive wellness program, flexible work policies, financial education resources and profit-sharing program contribute to associates’ sense of physical and financial well-being.
The firm’s impact to the community is significant, as well. The firm has raised $35.7 million since 2016 (against a goal of $50 million by 2025) for the Alzheimer’s Association, in its fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, 11,000 trees were planted in U.S. cities and through reforestation projects in 2022. More than $33.5 million in corporate, Edward Jones foundation and associate giving contributed to 318 organizations around the U.S.
In 2022, Edward Jones began accelerating its journey and aspiration to serve clients more completely through deep personal relationships and comprehensive planning and advice. The firm believes it has an opportunity to serve 40 million families in North America — relationships that go beyond traditional investment advice to an experience that enables its clients to achieve financially what is most important to them.
To create the ranking of Most Admired Companies, Fortune® magazine and research partner Korn Ferry began with the 1,000 largest U.S. companies by revenue plus foreign companies listed in Fortune’s® Global 500 database. Using nine criteria, ranging from investment value to social responsibility, they whittled down to the highest-revenue companies in each industry, a total of 645 companies (453 U.S.-based and 192 based elsewhere) across 52 industries. A survey of 15,000 senior executives, outside directors and industry analysts determined the top-rated companies from that pool of 645. The final list was announced in February 2023.